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Muhammad realized that literacy was synonymous with education. Through her studies and research of 19th century Black literacy societies, she found that the literacy societies promoted literacy as a conduit for lifelong learning while also countering racism and oppression.
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Gholdy Muhammad is an associate professor of language and literacy at Georgia State University and director of the Georgia State Urban Literacy Collaborative and Clinic. Muhammad provides a four part Historically Responsive Literacy Framework that “is essential for all students, especially youth of color, who traditionally have been marginalized in learning standards, school policies, and classroom practices.”ĭr. One book that we highly recommend to help guide the implementation of culturally responsive teaching practices into your classroom is Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy by Dr. If we can’t do that… we have no business being educators.
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For that reason, it is on us, as educators, to take a hard look at those said biases and begin to read, learn, and understand how to become better educators for all of our students. We have to ask though, does this make it right or okay? Absolutely not. In the article, "Inequality at School: What’s Behind the Racial Disparity in our Education System” by Kirsten Weir for the American Psychological Association, she states what many of us educators already know, “compared with white students, black students are more likely to be suspended or expelled, less likely to be placed in gifted programs and subject to lower expectations from their teachers.” She goes on to argue that in some of these cases, teachers are not acting out of malice, but instead out of implicit bias.
She recently published Cultivating Genius: An Equity Model for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy and has been highlighted in Historically Responsive Literacy: A More Complete Education for All Students, a Good Morning America (GMA) feature on teaching Black history and anti-racism, and a panel conversation on Abolitionist Teaching. Her perspectives bring an important lens to how we conceive of making and maker education, particularly with regard to its origins, the skills developed in the process of making, and the ways in which we celebrate historical and cultural practices of all communities, but especially of communities of color. Muhammad’s work is practical, grounded, and critical for today’s conversations about learning and teaching. Additionally, participants will see sample lessons across grade levels.ĭr. Participants will be encouraged and motivated to be more inclusive in their teaching of these five collective pursuits while learning the importance of integrating cultural, racial, and historical responsiveness into their learning goals, lesson plans, and the texts they use to teach. Joy! Helping youth to see the joy in themselves and others.Criticality: Developing the ability to read texts (including print and social contexts) to understand power, equity, and anti-oppression.Intellectual Development: Gaining knowledge through literacy practices.Literacy Skill Development: Developing proficiencies across the content areas.Identity Development: Helping youth to make sense of who they are and others.The equity framework will help educators teach toward the following learning goals: This approach is essential for all students, especially youth of color, who traditionally have been marginalized in learning standards, policies, and school practices. Gholdy Muhammad will offer a unique, culturally and historically responsive approach toward the goal of genius and joy. Muhammad focuses on the ways in which education is framed and perceived today, with particular emphasis on literacy education and Black communities. With foundational experience as a classroom teacher, district administrator, and instructional designer, Dr. Muhammad is currently an Associate Professor of Language and Literacy at Georgia State University and also leads the GSU Urban Literacy Collaborative & Clinic. Are you registered yet? You won’t want to miss this incredible learning opportunity.ĭr. We can’t wait for her to share her incredible work and thinking! Her keynote address is entitled Cultivating Genius and Joy. Gholnecsar (Gholdy) Muhammad will be a keynote speaker for this year’s Maker Ed Convening.